Horseshoe crab incubation system

A system for incubating an aquatic species, the system comprising a hatching module including:

• one or more upwellers, each of the one or more upwellers configured to retain fertilized eggs of the aquatic species and including a cylinder open only at an upper end thereof, a cover configured to be disposed on the upper end of the cylinder and having an aperture configured to create a back pressure in seawater circulating through the one or more upwellers that helps larvae move upward and out of the upweller while keeping fertilized eggs from escaping the upweller;
• a manifold configured to deliver seawater into each of the one or more upwellers, the one or more upwellers further including a tube disposed within the cylinder and configured to direct the seawater from the manifold downward into the cylinder;
• a sump in fluid communication with the apertures in the covers of the one or more upwellers and configured to receive seawater and larvae exiting from the apertures in the covers of the one or more upwellers, the one or more upwellers further including a spout configured to direct water and the larvae from the aperture into the sump;
• a straining screen disposed in the sump and configured to capture larvae that have exited from the apertures in the covers of the one or more upwellers;
• a recirculating pump in fluid communication downstream of the sump and configured to pump seawater from the sump to the manifold;
• and
• a filter and ultraviolet light disinfection system disposed in a fluid flow path of the seawater.

A system for incubating an aquatic species, the system comprising a larvae holding module including:

• a plurality of trays configured to retain larvae of the aquatic species, each of the plurality of trays including a screened outlet having a screen size sufficiently small to prevent the larvae from passing through the screened outlet;
• a distribution manifold configured to supply seawater to first ends of each of the plurality of trays, the screened outlet of each of the plurality of trays being disposed only on second ends of the plurality of trays opposite the first ends;
• a sump positioned downstream of the plurality of trays and configured to receive seawater draining from the plurality of trays through the screened outlets, the plurality of trays being arranged fluidically in series between the distribution manifold and the sump;
• a supply of oxygen-containing gas including an air bubbler disposed in a bottom of the sump and configured to deliver oxygen to seawater in the sump;
• a recirculating pump in fluid communication downstream of the sump configured to pump seawater from the sump to the distribution manifold;
• and
• a filter and ultraviolet light disinfection system disposed in a fluid flow path of the seawater.

A system for incubating an aquatic species, the system comprising a juvenile holding module including:

• a plurality of trays configured to retain juveniles of the aquatic species, each of the plurality of trays including a screened outlet having a screen size sufficiently small to prevent the juveniles from passing through the screened outlet;
• a distribution manifold configured to supply seawater to first ends of each of the plurality of trays, the screened outlet of each of the plurality of trays being disposed only on second ends of the plurality of trays opposite the first ends;
• a sump positioned downstream of the plurality of trays and configured to receive seawater draining from the plurality of trays through the screened outlets, the plurality of trays being arranged fluidically in series between the distribution manifold and the sump;
• a supply of oxygen-containing gas including an air bubbler disposed in a bottom of the sump and configured to deliver oxygen to seawater in the sump;
• a recirculating pump in fluid communication downstream of the sump configured to pump seawater from the sump to the distribution manifold;
• and
• a filter and ultraviolet light disinfection system disposed in a fluid flow path of the seawater.